Apple was top U.S. handset seller in Q4

SAN
FRANCISCO--Apple Inc. was the top seller of mobile handsets for the
first time ever in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to market
research firm Strategy Analytics.Apple
(Cupertino, Calif.) shipped an estimated 17.7 million iPhones in the
U.S. in the fourth quarter, good for a record 34 percent share of the
U.S. market, according to Strategy Analytics (Boston). We
estimate Apple shipped 17.7 million mobile phones for a record 34
percent share of the United States market in the fourth quarter of 2012.
The market research firm credited Apple’s popular ecosystem of iPhones
and App Store, generous carrier subsidies and extensive marketing around
the new iPhone 5 model. Overall,
U.S. mobile phone shipments increased 4 percent year-over-year to reach
52 million in the fourth quarter, according to a Strategy Analytics
report on wireless devices. Strategy Analytics cited strong demand among
U.S. consumers for 4G smartphones and 3G feature phones for the
shipment growth.

Prior
to the fourth quarter growth, the U.S. mobile phone market had
contracted 16 percent through the first three quarters of 2012 due to
economic uncertainty and tighter carrier upgrade policies, Strategy
Analytics said. As a result, U.S. mobile phone shipments fell 11 percent
from 186.8 million units in 2011 to 166.9 million in 2012, Strategy
Analytics said. South
Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. shipped 16.8 million mobile phones
in the U.S. in the fourth quarter, good for a 32 percent share of the
market, according to Strategy Analytics. Samsung’s market share rose 5
points from 27 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, the firm said. Prior
to being displaced by Apple in the fourth quarter, Samsung had been the
No. 1 mobile phone vendor in the U.S. since 2008, according to Strategy
Analytics. LG
Electronics Inc. remained the No. 3 seller of mobile phones in the U.S.
in the fourth quarter, shipping an estimated 4.7 million handsets, or
about 9 percent of the total market, Strategy Analytics said. Related stories:

The slide of AAPL is because of the Wall Street confidence to the future of the company. There is at least 1 fact to support the dim forecast - Apple cuts its LCD order for iPhone 5 by half. AAPL likely continue to slide a bit more until a more promising products are released to the market. It might be a bigger screen iPhone or a smaller screen and better resolution iPad. Market will tell.
Market share is very important. Yet, nothing is more important than profit. According to the news shared by eewiz , I don't think Samsung is doing better than Apple.

And yet AAPL continues to slide. daleste, the reasons for Motorola's & Nokia's market share decline are well known. If Apple & Samsung were to fall to the "Others" category, who would be replacing them at the top of the list, and why?

If I recall Samsung had more market share than apple for the US market for entire 2012, apple just for Q4. Apple may have won the battle of Q4, but lost the war of 2012.
It's odd to me to have a market share story and just cover Q4 results without acknowledging the full year results.